OLYMPICS LONDON 2012: Sherrington defeated by two-time world champion

By Sportsbeat staff, London 2012

CHRIS Sherrington admitted he could have done better after his London 2012 Olympic heavyweight judo campaign was ended by two-time world champion Alexander Mikhaylin.

WORLD CHAMPION THROUGH: Chris Sherrington wins opening fight but comes up short against Russia’s Alexander Mikhaylin

Sherrington took just seconds to win his opening fight against Australia’s Jake Andrewartha, reducing him to tears with a brilliantly executed ippon, judo’s equivalent of a knockout blow.

But it was always going to be tougher against Russia’s Mikhaylin, a two-time world champion – although the last of those titles was seven years ago – who enjoyed a near perfect build-up to these Games.

He won bronze at last year’s World Championships, took the European title earlier this year and had only lost twice in 19 fights so far in 2012.

Sherrington – a serving Royal Marine – took the battle to the Russian and the contest stayed tight, with only a low-scoring move ending the British heavyweight’s hopes of a place in the quarter-finals.

“Nearly is not good enough, as a Royal Marine it needs to be a win for me to be totally happy,” he said.

“I’ve been trying to beat that guy for six years and I have worked and worked on him. But he manipulates you in ways you would not believe, you can’t see it, you have to feel it.

“I managed to keep him at bay right until the end and I’m gutted but at the end of the day I got taken out by a two-time world champion.

“That’s the closet I’ve ever got to him. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, I’m fast and strong and powerful but he still won.

“It was a low score, it wasn’t an ippon and maybe next time he will get what’s coming.”

© Sportsbeat 2012